What is blood pressure? – in brief

Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood inside blood vessels. It should ideally be 120/80 mm Hg in arteries under standard conditions. Above 140/90 it is termed high blood pressure or hypertension. Blood pressure which is permanently elevated is considered to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders.

Who suffers from high blood pressure?

High blood pressure has become a common disease. In industrial countries, between 10 and 50% of adults are affected by it. More than 20% of Central Europeans have a permanently and significantly elevated blood pressure (above 160 mmHg). The frequency increases significantly with age. Only about 1 in 4 people aged 60 or over has normal blood pressure readings. In Europe, Germany is the frontrunner when it comes to the frequency of high blood pressure.

Which blood pressure readings are optimal, normal, high?

Blood pressure increases with exertion – with strenuous exercise as well as stress. Pregnancy and some medications also raise the blood pressure. This is perfectly normal. We use the term high blood pressure if it is above 140/90 mm Hg permanently and at rest.

Blood pressure readings can be classified as follows:

Optimal readings:

under 120/80mmHg

Normal readings:

under 130/85mmHg

High normal readings:

under 140/90mmHg

High blood pressure (severity 1):

under 160/100mmHg

High blood pressure (severity 2):

under 180/110mmHg

High blood pressure (severity 3):

below 180/110mmHg

Isolated systolic high blood pressure:

above 140/ below 90mmHg

What causes high blood pressure?

Generally, there are 2 types of high blood pressure: primary and secondary. If there is no identifiable cause, this is termed primary hypertension. The high blood pressure is considered to be the actual disease. This is described as diagnosis by exclusion.

If the blood pressure increases due to an underlying secondary cause, this is termed secondary hypertension. The causes are usually disorders of the hormonal system or cardiovascular system or renal damage.

Many factors affect blood pressure, some just temporarily, others permanently:

What do blood pressure readings mean?

Blood pressure is a measurement of the pressure exerted by the blood inside a blood vessel. Blood pressure readings are given in units of millimetres of mercury (mmHg). These are always stated as two values. First the systolic and then the diastolic reading is given. When the heart contracts, the blood is forced out of the left chamber into the body's circulatory system. The pressure is transferred via the aorta to the subsequent arteries. This phase is described as systole. This is why this pressure is called systolic blood pressure. After systole, the pressure in the vessels decreases. The reading in this phase is described as the diastolic value, it therefore indicates relaxation.

When and why is high blood pressure dangerous?

Permanent high blood pressure puts a strain on the vessels and various organs. Furthermore, it raises the risk of arteriosclerosis, that is deposits in the vessels. These in turn promote development of cardiovascular disease, that is primarily heart attack and stroke. The more risk factors for hypertension that appear, the greater the danger of these life-threatening diseases. Other factors are severe obesity, diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels. Therefore, it is especially important for diabetics and people who are overweight to make sure that their blood pressure readings are healthy. High blood pressure also damages the heart muscle, the kidneys and the retina of the eyes.

How can high blood pressure be lowered?

Depending on the cause, age, severity of the hypertension and condition of the other organs, there is a variety of extremely effective medications that lower blood pressure. These must be prescribed by a doctor.In addition, there is also a wide range of measures that can lower high blood pressure or prevent this from occurring. You can find suggestions here for home remedies and behaviours with which you can gently regulate your blood pressure: